Mike dove into the lake, alone and silent.
The sky above fractured into liquid gold as he pierced the surface. Ripples shimmered across the water, catching the last light of the sun like broken glass. The world above—chaotic, fiery—vanished behind the curtain of lakewater.
Below, everything changed.
The water stilled as if frozen in time. No bubbles rose. No current moved. Pale shafts of light filtered down through the surface like the gaze of indifferent gods, illuminating swaying weeds that danced lazily along the rocky floor. A single silver fish darted past, vanishing into the gloom.
Mike frowned.
"Why...?"
The battle between Qingjian's strongest and the Sea Dragon Flame had shaken the lake not minutes ago. But now—no cracks in the earth, no turbulence, not even a hint of residue aura.
Something was terribly wrong.
Then—
A flicker. Golden. Watching.
From the deep dark behind a jagged ridge of coral, two molten eyes emerged, glowing like embers buried beneath ash.
Mike twisted—
WHAM!
A colossal tail struck him from the left. The impact was like thunder underwater.
His body shot sideways, slammed through a series of floating stones suspended like silent sentries in the deep. The rocks shattered on contact, shards scattering like glass petals.
Bubbles exploded from his mouth as he coughed, red blooming into the water around him like ink in silk.
"Uhh… you damn dragon," he muttered, clutching his side, his fingers brushing a broken rib. His aura flickered, weak but burning.
"If you think you can kill me like that, that's your biggest mistake."
Suddenly—
The water compressed. Like an unseen fist clenched the entire lake.
Mike gasped, choking.
The pressure wasn't just around him—it was inside him. Bones creaked. His veins roared.
Then it came.
A leviathan form emerged from the gloom—crimson and gold, with shimmering scales that reflected moonlight from the depths. Its long whiskers curled like living threads of flame. From every movement, sparks shimmered despite the water.
Its eyes glowed brighter than lava.
"You damn humans," the dragon's voice echoed like thunder rolling through a stormy canyon. "What problems do you little mosquitoes have now? Are you seeking death?"
The lake quaked with each word. Algae curled into knots. Sand swirled up from the bottom like smoke.
Mike didn't flinch.
"Mosquitoes…?" His voice dropped like iron. "You'll regret those words."
He summoned his weapon—not a legendary blade, not a divine spear.
A hammer. Rusted. Scarred. Chipped at the corners.
Its surface was stained from old battles, yet his grip around it tightened with defiant pride.
He surged forward.
One strike. Two. Three.
Each blow echoed in the deep. But the dragon didn't budge. Not a single scale cracked.
"Go back," the dragon growled. "You are not qualified. You are not worthy."
"I am!" Mike screamed, blood seeping from his gums. "I'll either achieve you today or die trying!"
The dragon's glare hardened.
"Then die."
Its jaws unhinged. Heat built within its throat like a volcano birthing.
Flames roared outward—
Underwater fire, ethereal and seething, ripped toward him.
Mike raised his hammer—
It shattered in a blink.
Flame consumed him.
His skin blistered. Aura melted. He screamed into bubbles.
A second tail swept him across the lake like a leaf in a storm. Then another. Then more.
Each impact echoed off the lakebed.
Bones snapped.
Muscles tore.
Vision dimmed.
He drifted—limp. Weightless. Blood painted lazy spirals around him.
I can't… die…
Not yet. Not like this.
I promised Father…
I haven't seen Master Jian Dao again… Wu…
Darkness crept in.
But then—
A glow.
Gentle. Blue. Misty.
Like moonlight filtered through snow. Like silk floating on breath.
The Blue Mist Flame.
It coiled around him, soft as fog, yet pulsing with raw power. Bones cracked back into place. Flesh knitted. Pain faded—not fully, but enough.
His eyes flew open.
The blue flame flickered in them. His aura reignited.
Far off, the dragon froze mid-swoop.
"W-what?! That flame… that's the Blue Mist Flame…?" its voice trembled.
"Impossible… even powerhouses cannot stand near it, and he—he's…"
Mike hovered upright.
The water bent around him. Bubbles trailed from his feet like he stood on air.
Blue fire circled his fists like gauntlets carved from the stars.
"It healed me again… but why?" he muttered, glancing at his hands.
"I don't control it… but I feel like I can defeat you now."
The dragon's body coiled.
"Oh… my friend," it said, tone shifting. "May I ask your name?"
Mike's eyes narrowed.
"I'm Mike."
The dragon's heart sank.
Mike…? That's the name of someone who… No. It's an illusion!
It screamed and launched another inferno.
But this time—
Mike moved.
A blur. A ripple. A streak of blue lightning.
He weaved between the flames, turning sideways, flipping mid-dash. Not even his hair caught fire.
He struck back—
A fist to the snout.
Another to the jaw.
Then the ribs, again and again.
Each blow left a searing blue mark.
The lake churned. Waves above burst into the sky like geysers.
Outside—
Leaves danced from nearby trees. A crane flapped away. The distant mountain behind the lake flickered under the pressure of the clash.
Students stood frozen, robes fluttering in the charged air.
"Woah! This is becoming fantastic!" Huo Chuntian gasped, wind pressing against his chest.
Jian Dao folded his hands behind his back, watching calmly.
"A true battle between flame and will."
Qingjian Lanyu stepped back.
"We couldn't even breathe near that dragon… but he's fighting it alone? Who the hell is he?"
Even Bojing clenched his jaw.
"I… might have misjudged him."
Back in the lake—
Mike's aura glowed like a beacon in the depths.
"This ends now!" he shouted.
He punched forward—
Blue fire erupted.
The flames turned into a spiral and struck the dragon square in the chest.
BOOM!
The lake buckled. Stone cracked. Steam rose in massive bubbles.
The dragon shrieked, wings flaring out—then falling limp.
It hovered, trembling, then lowered its head.
"…You win."
Mike floated—bloodied, half-conscious, but burning with something greater than rage.
"Pretty… tough… flame to achieve," he whispered.
His eyes fluttered shut.
All around, the water calmed again—peaceful, almost sacred.
Above, the sky had turned gold-orange. The last light caught on the ripples. A small leaf drifted down, landing on the still surface.